Fix Your Eyes Above

It’s a terrible feeling to look around and see that you’re stuck. It’s even a worse feeling to look around and see dozens of others in your situation – and are content with it. Every Christian should have an idea about what I’m talking about. We may resemble everyone that lives here, but we belong to another Place. We long to be Home with God the Father, our eyes are fixed toward the heavens, and when we look around us for others to join us in our anticipation we are dismayed to see that everyone else is just …fine. They’re completely oblivious to anything outside of their mere existence. Maybe you have high aspirations, but you’re stuck at a dead-end job. You look around for a role model, but you’re surrounded by coworkers who are content with where they’re at. Maybe you’re married to someone who is okay with the status quo: come home from work, eat, watch TV, go to bed, repeat. Your hopes are high, but the people around you seem to only pull you down.

And when you’re pulled down by those around you, you find yourselves giving up on hope and becoming content with this world. You’ve lost that excitement for Heaven. You’re the kind of person that prays, “Jesus, don’t come back until after the finale of Downton Abbey.” (I have never seen the show, so I am not endorsing it.) But you know what I mean. You’ve grown comfortable here in your daily living. The highlight of your week is punching out on Friday just so you can stay up late and sleep in the next day.

The movie Ratatouille is one of the most sophisticated films that has ever been made. True to the Pixar spirit, it does a masterful job at reflecting life as honestly and raw as you can hope for in a movie. Remy the rat does not fit in with his clan because they are content with eating garbage from the sewer. Remy finds garbage deplorable and believes there is something better out there. He craves real food. Not just any food, mind you, but the finest food in all of France. We can learn a lot from this little guy, because he doesn’t let his bickering, trash-loving family bring him down. Through some very creative circumstances, Remy the rat becomes a chef in one of the most revered restaurants in all of Paris. He doesn’t let the fact that he’s a disease-infected rodent stop him from reaching his dreams.

We’re really no different from Remmy. We’re a sin-infested people who are living for the next best-looking piece of trash that’s thrown our way. Whether it’s a collection of romance novels or anticipating the next gory zombie movie, we’re content with living amongst garbage.

I have to catch myself on a daily basis. I’ll be enjoying a season of my life so much that I hope the Lord puts off His Second Appearance, and you know what? The best season of my life, or your life, is utter Hell compared to the glories that await us in Heaven..

May we never take our eyes off of what’s to come, because when you’re pulled down by the mundane babblings of the cashier working next to you, you can offer a word of encouragement that something better is outside that retail store. Keep your eyes fixed on Heaven, and you won’t be able to help but speak about it with everyone you know. God knows that you’re not happy where you are (and sorry Mr. Olstene, but God isn’t concerned about our best life now), but He knows that there is a greater Life waiting for you on the other side of this world, and we should all be living for it each moment.

Remy lived his life underground, eating trash, not knowing about the riches above him. We’re living under the canopy of Heaven, and we must never forget what lies just around the corner for those who believe in Jesus Christ. Don’t be content with the trash this world shovels our way. Find the nuggets of gold dropped down from Heaven that serve as reminders that this life is not all there is. Something greater awaits.

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Pilippeans 4:8

About adoptingjamesMy lovely wife and I are foster parents, dog owners, and home owners. I am a blogger, book editor, and author.
On my blog you'll read about adoption, book recommendations, inspirational thoughts, and a whole lotta Disney/Pixar lovin'!
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Nice blog..good points. Think about the comment directed at Osteen, that’s what God placed on him to minister about, as you have your area. Division is fuel for the enemy’s war machine in secular society. Even if you do not agree, we still are bros. God bless, keep em’ coming.

Wow, the second day in a row I came across a reflection on those verses! God must be saying something… ;)

I don’t think we are “waiting” (to finish the race) though. We are “running” the race. We’ll need to put in our best effort to keep running to reach that finish line. It might be a struggle but it wasn’t meant to be easy :)

Even though I’m not a Christian, there is something to be said about the pull humans feel to pick each other up when we’re at our lowest. However we choose to define it, it’s important that all of us recognize that there is inherent value in every human life; it shouldn’t be cast aside or ignored. Even if it is our own.

Great thoughts! I came to understand much of what you are saying through Bible study and reading books by Randy Alcorn. C.S. Lewis also wrote about these themes. And, we should always speak the truth, even when it contradicts what others who profess to know Christ say. Truth matters and speaking it is loving.